FOPPI

Volunteers replacing old decking on Plum Island's timber frame rock crib pier Seven volunteers with the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands (FOPPI) departed from Gills Rock aboard The Shoreline on September 18, 2026, to work on the Plum Island pier. The boat was piloted by Captain Scott Nelson with assistance from his crew member, Doug Smith. Both Nelson and Smith were stationed on Plum Island while serving in the Coast Guard. The Plum Island station was manned until 1990, at which time...

2025-2026 US Fish & Wildlife Service Volunteer of the Year, Jim Schwartz The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands (FOPPI) is a 100% volunteer-run organization that provides fundraising, advocacy and community outreach to the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Together we've done extensive preservation and restoration work on the historic maritime structures on the islands and have made some wonderful memories with like-minded friends along the way. We do it because we care about the wildlife and...

Dwarf Lake Iris, USFWS Mother Nature has gifted us with boundless beauty to enjoy and protect. On Plum Island, one of the beauties is the Dwarf Lake Iris (DLI). She's as unique as Plum Island; only appearing in specific environments in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario. She is a key indicator of a healthy ecosystem, but unfortunately, the range that she exists in is shrinking, placing her on the Wisconsin endangered species list. Climate change may affect her too, by exposing her to factors...